<P>Airbus admitted yesterday that the future of the <A href="http://www.airbus.com/en/aircraftfamilies/a380/a380f/specifications.html" target=_blank>A380&nbsp;Freighter&nbsp;</A>could be decided in the next few days, with the decision by remaining customer <A href="http://www.ups.com/aircargo/using/services/services/domestic/svc-aircraft.html" target=_blank>UPS</A>&nbsp;to delay taking delivery of the its&nbsp;order for 10 of the type past 2010 potentially affecting the&nbsp;industrial decision to launch the type.</P> <P>Airbus has reached an agreement with UPS to change the delivery dates for the 10 A380 freighters it has on order, and to allow the US cargo operator more time to make a decision on whether to proceed with or cancel its order.</P> <P>UPS says the agreement specifies changed delivery dates and provides for possible termination of the original purchase agreement by either party later this year. UPS was originally scheduled to take delivery of the freighters between 2009

<body lang=EN-GB style='tab-interval:36.0pt'> <div class=Section1> <div> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Australian carrier Qantas has switched its focus to the Boeing 787 in its search for an aircraft capable of operating non-stop between the country’s east coast and <st1:place u1:st="on">Europe</st1:place>.</p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Qantas has long pushed Airbus and Boeing to produce a jet which can perform such services, with the 9,200nm (17,000km) Sydney-London route its ultimate target.</p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>After working with Boeing to explore range improvements to the 777-200LR, Qantas – which has 45 787s on order – is studying a hypothetical high-gross-weight variant of the 787-8.</p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>Qantas chief financial officerhttp://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/Qantas-seeks-longer-range-787-8-303206/

<P>One of Australia's most vocal general aviation lobbies is planning a nationwide body to reverse what it sees as a systematic destruction of private flying in the country. SOS Airports, a single-issue organisation set up to campaign against the activities of Sydney's Bankstown airport operator, plans to change its name from Save Our Sydney Airports to Save Our Secondary Airports and join with pressure groups across the country. </P><P>SOS Airports has been fighting a bitter dispute with Bankstown airport, which owns three general aviation airports in western Sydney and, renamed Sydney Metropolitan Bankstown, has just won permission for up to 12 regional scheduled passenger services a day and will become the Sydney hub for the Toll Priority express courier by mid-year. Kim Ellis, Bankstown chief executive, says extension of the runway to around 1,800m (5,900ft) from 1,400m will allow jets up to the size of an Airbus A319 to operate and provide an alternative to Sydney Kingsford Smithhttp://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/SOS-goes-out-to-Australian-flyers-212913/